Love Your Product, Hate Your Service

When Good Service Representatives Do Bad Things

Interesting when the economy does well how customers can be taken for granted with so many customers to choose from, organizations quickly forget those that placed them in their current state- customers. Ironically, the cost of acquisition to keep a client is less costly then trying to find a new one. Recent research stipulates that advertising expenses, web development, television production and other media means are simply too costly to the bottom line. Yet, rather than focus on the core, organizations incessantly seek new clients for business.

Recently, a client recommended a certain vendor to David. In trying to secure a large print order David immediately called the vendor, not once but five times. The call was never returned and the vendor lost a significant six-figure order. The question for you, "Are you losing business before your eyes"? Delivering an experience that is satisfying to customers and differentiated from competitors drives both repeat visits and improved profitability. However, poor experiences such as that above enable clients such as David to test competitors and move freely to others. Further, in today's competitive and quick paced world, it is not difficult for someone like David to take the remote control and switch quickly to the competition. And if that does not work, they will switch again as loyalty in today's market runs thin.

Family and Friends Plan

The cost of conducting business is very expensive. Everything from gasoline to telecommunications is on the rise. Ironically, maintaining clients costs less than one third the cost of new client acquisition. Organizations today fail to adopt the "Family and Friends Plan". One negative interaction between client and vendor will be shared amongst family, friends and neighbors. Recently a real estate professionally securing a million dollar sales agreement was asked by the same client to find a new home. Being distant with the client by focusing on new client acquisition, she not only lost the million- dollar sale but a 1.2 million dollar purchase by the same client! Friends and neighbors discovered the issue and now the agent's sales are down 37%.

It's the little things

I do an extensive amount of work with a print and shipping operation not far from my home office. Many vendors have opted for my services but I prefer to go to Frank and Carol. They have a mutual passion for serving the client. My visits are not about business but rather interested friends exchanging pleasantries and getter better acquainted each time. The pair knows the names of my children their respective birthdays and even my wife's! That is not just interest, not about friendship- it is service differentiation. Further, one Sunday evening I received a telephone call at 9:30 from Frank indicating the completion of a job. He apologized for a two-day delay and wanted me to know that the job was not only ready but was on his tab. That is service with a smile and service that continues to enable me to return time and time again.